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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25569868">Hello. Deerie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodelf/pseuds/woodelf'>woodelf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Floofy!verse [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Once Upon a Time (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Originally Posted on Tumblr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:21:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,350</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25569868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodelf/pseuds/woodelf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas-themed floof family fluff. Has Belle managed to get the real Santa Claus to appear at her library Christmas event? And a new tradition starts as the Golds host a Christmas Eve dinner with Neal and Henry and Emma.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baelfire | Neal Cassidy &amp; Henry Mills, Baelfire | Neal Cassidy &amp; Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Henry Mills &amp; Emma Swan, Henry Mills &amp; Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Floofy!verse [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836043</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hello. Deerie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based on <a>this post</a> by Gepardo. </p><p>The Rumbelle Deer was a tumblr thing; all you need to know is that they shipped Rumbelle and liked to wear flower crowns.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It started with the storm. The gusty autumn winds cracked a large branch off the oak tree in Gold’s backyard, sending it crashing down atop the high wooden fence which enclosed the yard and dislodging two of the boards.</p><p>“I’ll have someone come out and fix the gap tomorrow,” he told Belle, and cast a small spell to keep unwelcome intruders out in the meantime. But as they settled down to tea in the growing dusk, Belle caught her breath in pleasure as she saw a deer glide in through the gap in the fence.</p><p>“Look!” she pointed, directing Gold’s attention through the French doors into the backyard.</p><p>A second doe followed the first, and then a young buck. They began browsing on the fallen acorns and other windfall that littered the grass. Belle was enchanted, Gold puzzled. He could feel the spell in place, how – oh. The deer were not unwelcome to Belle at all. Nor had they come with any intent to harm. He would have to fine-tune the spell, lest they be overrun with every stray animal in Storybrooke seeking a handout.</p><p>In the morning Belle protested when he debated aloud about who to call to fix the fence. “But then the deer won’t be able to come!”</p><p>“We don’t want them becoming regular visitors, love. They’ll cut up the lawn. Eat all the leaves off your rose bushes. Leave droppings to step in.”</p><p>“The roses are done for the year and it’s too cold to be out in the yard anymore. You could leave the fence until spring,” she argued reasonably.</p><p>He gave in. Of course he gave in. He’d put out a damned salt lick for the beasts if she asked it of him. If the yard started looking like a shambles, he’d fine-tune the spell further to keep the deer out and let her assume they’d just moved on. But for now, he admitted it was pleasant to watch what were soon almost daily visitors as he and Belle took their tea together.</p><p>What came as a shock was the day he found the buck nosing at the garbage bin in the alley behind his shop. At least he assumed it was the same buck; it had the same number of points to its antlers, and for another deer to show up seemed too strange to consider. He had never seen one in the middle of town, though. What made it even more surreal was that the faded, crumbling dried flower wreath which he had thrown away had snagged on one of buck’s brow tines, making it look like the animal was wearing a flower crown.</p><p>“Hey!” The deer swung around to look at him in an unperturbed fashion. “What did you do, follow me to work? It’s not enough I let you eat off my lawn, you’re going to start raiding my trash bin as well? ” He took a step forward, brandishing his cane. “Go on, get out of here, shoo!’</p><p>The buck snorted and wheeled, trotting away, leaving Gold to shake his head. On his way back after lunch at Granny’s Diner, he stopped at the hardware store and bought a bottle of Pest B-Gone, which he sprayed liberally around the trash bin in the alley. It seemed to work, as he didn’t see the deer again – at least until the next rain.</p><p>The morning after, he was cleaning some items in the back of his shop, the window open to let the fumes from the metal polish out of the room, when he heard a whuffling noise and he looked up to see a familiar black and white muzzle poke through the narrow opening. Behind the buck (still, amazingly, wearing the crown of flowers at a jaunty angle) he could see the figure of one of the does trying to look in as well.</p><p>"Oh no, this is ridiculous,” he said out loud. They couldn’t just be attracted to him for some reason, could they? Most likely they were visiting other people’s yards as well. Should he call the animal shelter? He took out his phone, realised he didn’t know their number, and decided to call the sheriff instead, whose number he had on speed dial. Pushing back his chair, he warily watched as the buck nosed at the glass prisms hanging in the window, seemingly fascinated by the movement of the small rainbows they cast on the floor, and managed to dart forward just in time to save a piece of sheet music that the doe had reached in and begun to nibble at.</p><p>“Ah yes, Sheriff,” He moved the sheet music to a safe position and glared at the deer. “I was wondering, have there been any reports lately of deer in town, coming into people’s yards, that sort of thing? No? Why? Well, there are two sticking their head into my shop at this very moment, for one thing. Um, no, I’ll call you back if I want you to come over and help get rid of them, thanks.” He hung up and took hold of the buck’s rack, trying to remove the silly wreath, but the buck threw up his head and sprang back nimbly before he could free it. The doe skittered back of her own accord, and he seized the opportunity to quickly close the window in their faces.</p><p>“And stay out!” he called, watching them wander away. Baffled, he shook his head and went back to work. <em><br/>
</em></p><p>As the days turned colder and the rain changed to the first snow of the season, the deer showed up less and less in the backyard and Gold, for his part, breathed a sigh of relief. “They’re probably tucked up someplace warm and cozy in the woods,” he reassured Belle when she voiced her concerns after not seeing them for a week. </p><p>“You’re probably right,” she agreed, looking out at the snow-covered yard. “Still, I’ll miss them.” Luckily, she had plenty of other things to think about, having embraced the idea of Christmas. Decorations had already begun to spring up around the house, and she was planning an event for the library. She told him all about it one evening over dinner, rosy-cheeked and excited about the prospect.</p><p>“We’re going to have a visit from Santa Claus, and there’ll be crafts, and story-time, and oh! Santa’s going to bring one of his reindeer!”</p><p>Gold’s heart fell. “A…a live reindeer?” he asked weakly. “In the library?”</p><p>“Well, we’re going to set up an enclosure outside, like a petting zoo. Kris says he’s very gentle.”</p><p>“Kris?” he echoed, suspecting he knew what she was going to say.</p><p>Belle nodded. “Kris Kringle. Santa Claus is more of a title, really. His real name is Kris Kringle.”</p><p>“You…you do know that Santa Claus is just make-believe, right?” he asked hesitantly, wondering whom she’d hired for the part. </p><p>“"You mean like a storybook character?” she asked sweetly. </p><p>“Yes, like a –” He stopped, realising what she was saying. Like they were, in this world. Could Santa Claus be real, too? But he knew everybody in Storybrooke. He tried to think who could be claiming to be Santa Claus. Big, beefy. Could it be her father, trying to spend some time with her in disguise? No, she’d recognise him. Come to think of it, he had never seen a <em>reindeer</em> in Storybrooke, either. Just the whitetails like those that had shown up in their yard and at his shop. “Are you being secretive or do you really not know who is going to be showing up at the library to have children sit on his lap?” he demanded.</p><p>“Well, <em>I’ve</em> never met him before,” she stated, and he could see she was telling the truth.</p><p>“Hmm, I’ll be interested in meeting him then." </p><p>Belle brightened. "You mean you’re going to come?”</p><p>“Just tell me the day, and I’ll be there,” he promised. He flashed his teeth in a feral grin. “Maybe I could even read the kiddies "How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.“</p><p>"Deal,” Belle said quickly, sticking out her hand for him to shake.</p><p>“Hey, wait,” he looked faintly alarmed. “What would I get out of this deal?”</p><p>“A very happy me to unwrap later that night?” she suggested.</p><p>Gold considered, decided it might be amusing, then shook her hand. “I’ll probably regret this, but: deal,” he agreed.</p><p>                               ———————————–</p><p><br/>
Belle had planned the Christmas at the Library event for the day of the winter solstice, and it looked like they were going to have a beautiful day for it, the air cool and crisp but the sun bright and sparkling off the snow on the ground. She dressed in a new burgundy jumper, the corduroy wale so fine it looked almost like velvet, with matching dark green leggings and a long sleeved, snowflake-print shirt under it. Black boots and a sparkling marcasite barrette she’d found in his shop to hold her hair back completed the look, and she whirled for his inspection. “What do you think?”</p><p>“Beautiful as always,” he caught her by the waist and stole a quick kiss. “And very festive.”</p><p>“Remember, you said you’d stop by in the afternoon. If you want to see Santa, he’ll be there from noon till two.”</p><p>“I’ll be there,” he promised.</p><p>And he was, closing the shop at noon and walking over to the library. The once-disused space was bustling with activity and bright with cheerful winter decorations. Near the children’s area was a large, velvet-upholstered armchair that Belle had begged the use of for Santa’s “throne”, and upon it was settling the man himself. Gold stared at the white-bearded figure – a real beard, as far as he could tell – and frowned when he did not recognise him. </p><p>“Hello, Santa,” he said, approaching. “Or should I call you Kris?”</p><p>Santa smiled and cocked his head for a moment. “Ah, Rumpelstiltskin. Kris well do, if you don’t mind. No need for formality between us.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you, do I?”</p><p>“If you mean we haven’t met personally, no, we haven’t. Nice to meet you; Belle speaks highly of you.” Santa held out his hand and Gold found himself shaking it, bemused. </p><p>“Hi, Grandpa!” Next to Santa’s throne, Henry grinned at him, clad in a red and green elf costume and obviously enjoying himself.</p><p>“Hullo, Henry. I see Belle roped you into service.”</p><p>“I volunteered. It’s fun. And all the punch and cookies I want. They’re over there, by the way.” He pointed helpfully to a table where the treats were set up. </p><p>“Thank you. I haven’t had lunch yet, so I might indulge." </p><p>"There you are!” He felt two warm hands on his shoulders and turned to see Belle beaming at him. She’d added a red and green felt elf hat similar to Henry’s atop her head, and he reached out to flick the bell at the tip, making it jingle.</p><p>“Wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” He grinned. </p><p>“Can I see Santa now?" </p><p>They looked down to see a small girl, towing her mother behind her, looking up at Belle hopefully. Kids were beginning to gather as they saw that Santa had arrived. </p><p>"You may indeed! Go right up,” Belle encouraged.</p><p>“Hullo, Cindy!” Santa boomed. “And what would you like for Christmas?”</p><p>Belle cocked her head quizzically. “As far as I know, I have never seen this man in Storybrooke before today,”, Rumpelstiltskin remarked quietly. “And yet he knows young Cindy’s name. Curiouser and curiouser.”</p><p>“Do you think he came in from outside the town?” Belle asked. “I mean, if he’s really Santa Claus, he has magic of his own. But wouldn’t he be busy at the North Pole right now?”</p><p>Gold watched the little girl jump down happily from Santa’s lap, apparently pleased with their conversation, and Henry handed her a candy cane from a large box wrapped in shiny gold paper. “I…I don’t know. I’ll talk to him more later. But I don’t feel any kind of threat emanating from him. He knew my name, too, but I suppose that would be easy enough to learn around here. But a five-year-old girl’s?”</p><p>“Well, come and see the reindeer for now. You haven’t yet, have you?”</p><p>Gold shook his head. “Just a quick look. I want to get to the punch and cookies before they’re all gone,” he teased. “I need fortification for my upcoming ordeal, if you’re going to hold me to the Grinch reading.”</p><p>“I most certainly am,” she said firmly, leading him to the little yard at the back of the library, where patrons could sit on a bench to read in the fresh air when the weather was nice. There had been beds of flowers once; Rumpelstiltskin suspected Belle would be replanting them this spring. At the moment, though, part of the yard had been converted into a makeshift pen, occupied by, Gold was both relieved and baffled to see, an actual reindeer, instead of the whitetail he’d half feared. David Nolan, in what appeared to be the regulation elf hat, was holding a shank attached to the animal’s cheerful red halter while people had their photo taken next to – Gold glanced at the sign attached to the pen – Blitzen. </p><p>“Santa’s inside and ready for visitors!” Belle announced cheerfully.</p><p>“Okay, guys, 15 minute break!” David said. “Blitzen will still be here after you’ve seen Santa.” There was an immediate  thinning of the crowd in the yard as kids and their parents headed back inside, allowing Belle and Gold to approach David and Blitzen. “How’s it going?” Belle asked. </p><p>“Great,” David assured her. “He’s really gentle, doesn’t mind the kids at all.” He scratched the reindeer’s ear and unclipped the shank before exiting the pen. Blitzen followed him towards the gate, then shifted his attention to Belle and Gold, his big liquid dark eyes studying them for a moment before his nostrils flared and he pushed his head over the wooden fencing and nuzzled at Gold’s coat pocket.</p><p>Gold nearly squeaked, but managed to convert it into a startled “Hey!”</p><p>“He likes you!” Belle exclaimed, delighted, reaching out to stroke the thick fur of the animal’s neck.</p><p>David chuckled. “Have you got something edible in your pocket?”</p><p>Gold took a step back and pulled out a roll of mints. “Just these.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s his favourite treat. Peppermints.” David grinned. “Offer him one.”</p><p>“Wintergreen, actually,” Gold corrected, but peeled off a glove in order to pry a mint free of the roll.</p><p>David shrugged. “Still a kind of mint.”</p><p>Gold held out his hand, palm up, with the white disc in the center of it, and felt the brush of a velvety muzzle as Blitzen took the treat with gentle lips and turned his head to watch Gold out of what seemed to be an approving eye, crunching happily. And then it hit him. Maybe the day the deer showed up at the shop had been the same day that Belle had stopped by earlier that morning with some holiday-scented air freshener which she had sprayed into the room? Maybe all deer were attracted to the scent of peppermint? And it had wafted out the window when he had opened it later?</p><p> <em>It was pine, not peppermint, </em> a voice in the back of his head said. Well, deer probably liked pine, too, he reasoned; it would smell like the forest. It was a somewhat weak explanation, but Gold embraced it as better than the notion that he had somehow become a magnet for members of the deer family.</p><p>“Let me have one!” Belle demanded, holding out her hand. Gold smiled and dropped another mint in it, watching the delight on her face as her gift was equally accepted. </p><p>“Want me to take your picture?” David offered, holding up his Polaroid camera.</p><p>“Yes!” Belle turned to face him, her smile bright, and Gold started to move out of the way.</p><p>“Hey, no, I want you in this, too!” Belle grabbed at his arm.</p><p>“Belle…”</p><p>“Shut up and smile. I don’t have nearly enough pictures with you in them.”</p><p>David quickly snapped a picture of the two of them on either side of the reindeer. Gold wasn’t exactly smiling, but he was looking at Belle with a baffled sort of fondness, and David figured that was probably as good as he was going to get. He pulled the picture out of the camera as it slid out, and waited for it to dry, handing it over when it was ready. “There you go.”</p><p>Belle took it with a thank you, glanced at it, then at Gold. “That’s not a smile,” she reproved, tugging on a lock of his hair.</p><p>“I’m not a smiley person.”</p><p>“You are in the bedroom. Maybe I should bring the camera in there.”</p><p>David held up his hands. “Too much information!” he said loudly. “I’m going inside for a few minutes to warm up." </p><p>"I wouldn’t mind taking some pictures of <em>you</em>,” Gold smirked.</p><p>“I take one, you take one?” she suggested, wetting her lips. </p><p>He hesitated only a second. “Deal.” The look she gave him made him feel warm all over.</p><p>Belle tucked the photo in her pocket. “I’d better be getting back inside. Nova can handle checking things in and out, but someone might have some questions.” She looked over her shoulder. “Bye, Blitzen! I’ll see you later.”</p><p>Inside, Santa was doing a good business, with a group of kids waiting in line to see him. Gold watched him for a few minutes while Belle went off to staff the reference desk, but all that he was able to pick up was that the man had a natural, easy rapport with kids. He’d find out more when he talked to him later, he promised himself, and went off to plunder the punch and cookies table, surprised when he saw Neal come around the end of a stack, pushing a half-full cart of books.</p><p>“Why did Belle not tell me my entire family was going to be here?” he demanded ruefully.</p><p>“Oh, hi, Papa.” Neal came over to join him. “I dropped Henry off, and there were a lot of books to be put away, so I offered to help out and keep an eye on Henry. Have you seen him? Isn’t he cute in that outfit?”</p><p>“Henry is physically incapable of not being cute,” Gold admitted. “Takes after his father.” He ruffled Neal’s hair affectionately before his son could duck away. </p><p>“Thanks, I think, but actually I think he takes more after you. As far as looks go, anyway.”</p><p>Gold felt inordinately pleased. “Well, his character is all yours. Brave and sweet and kind and always wanting to help out others.”</p><p>“Yeah. He turned out good, didn’t he?” Neal looked proudly across the room where Henry was grinning and handing out candy canes to departing children. “Amazing, really, considering who raised him for most of his life.”</p><p>“I’m sorry about that,” Gold apologised.</p><p>“Yeah, well, I’m the one who ran out on Emma and left her to go through pregnancy in prison. And if Henry had been adopted by anyone else – I probably never would even have learned of his existence, would I? So I can’t say I regret how things turned out.” Neal picked up a green-tinted wreath cookie with a blob of jelly in its center. “Mm, try these. Emma and Henry made them. I understand you’re gonna read to the kids?” he teased. “What did Belle have to do to get you to agree to that?”</p><p>“Oh gods, she told you about that?” Rumpelstiltskin groaned. “Probably none of the kids will even want to come near me.”</p><p>Neal grinned, looking highly entertained at the thought. “I’m gonna get a picture of that.” He pulled his camera halfway out of his pocket, showing it to Gold, then pushed it back in again. </p><p>“Take one of Henry for me?" </p><p>"I’ve already taken a bunch. I’ll send you copies. Well, I’d better get back to work. But I’ll be around for storytime.” He clapped his father on the shoulder and moved off into the next aisle with his book cart. </p><p>Gold glanced at the clock. Did he have time for a quick sandwich at Granny’s first? No, better save lunch till after his ordeal, and he could wash down the memory of it with a glass of whiskey. He picked up a deer-shaped cookie and morosely bit its head off before heading over to the reference desk.</p><p>“Hey, you.” Belle smiled and reached under her desk for a slim, hardback book. “Want to brush up on your reading material?”</p><p>Gold accepted the copy of <em>How The Grinch Stole Christmas </em>with a resigned sigh.</p><p>“Storytime’s at one,” she informed him. “Do you want to go first and get it over with, or shall I lead off with <em>A Visit From Saint Nicholas</em>?”</p><p>“You first,” he said promptly. The only thing more embarrassing than reading than reading a children’s book aloud in a public library would be doing so to an audience of none. He figured once the kids were already seated, they’d stay seated. “Remind me why I agreed to this?”</p><p>She stood up and used his tie to pull him in for a kiss. “Ring any bells?” she asked mischievously when she released him. </p><p>“Oh, yeah.” Feeling quite cheered, Gold glanced at the clock  12:45.</p><p>“Story area’s over there.” Belle pointed to a clear space in the children’s area, where there was room for a bunch of kids to sit down on a brightly-patterned rug in front of the reader’s chair. Gold meandered over to perch on the edge of a table nearby and flip through the book. In truth, the cadence of the words was already in his head, thanks to having watched the animated TV special with Belle several days ago, the night before he’d made his jesting suggestion. Why they started showing Christmas specials so early in the month, he’d never understand, but Belle had enjoyed it, and he had to admit that the catchy lines had been masterfully narrated. He became aware of someone watching him, and looked up to see Nicholas Zimmer sitting at a nearby desk, gazing at him with astonished eyes. Gold considered and rejected a few reactions before simply giving the boy a large wink. </p><p>Nicholas’s – or was he going by Hansel again? – eyes widened even more, and Gold enjoyed the boy’s mystified expression. Maybe this could be fun after all.  Just then Storytime was announced over the library’s loudspeakers, and Belle appeared a moment later, calling for everyone to gather. Soon a group of children were gathered at her feet, the youngest ones held in their parents’ laps, older ones lurking along the edges of the group, or turning in their seats to listen. Belle read with animation, not minding when she was interrupted with questions or comments on the poem, turning the book frequently so the children could see the illustrations. Gold felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Neal grin at him and join him in sitting on the sturdy wooden table. Henry came around to his other side and plopped down in a chair, stretching his legs out in front of him consideringly. </p><p>“These chairs would have seemed just the right size last year,” he observed, keeping his voice low.</p><p>“I think you’ve had a growth spurt just since New York,” Neal agreed.</p><p>“Yeah, all of a sudden my pants were all too short.” He twisted around and looked back at Gold. “Hey, the Grinch! I love the Grinch.” Henry looked up from the book into Gold’s face, then back down, his brows knitting in confusion for a moment before his face cleared. “Oh, are you gonna read it out loud?”</p><p>“Henry, do I seem like the kind of person who would read aloud stories to little children?”</p><p>“If Belle asked you to, yes.” Henry grinned.</p><p>Gold sighed. “And right you are, my lad. I always knew you were smart.”</p><p>Belle finished reading with “and to all, a good night!” and some of the youngest children clapped happily, urged on by their parents. Gods, were they going to clap for him, too? Or even worse, not clap? He didn’t know which he wanted. But then he felt the warmth of Neal’s shoulder against his, and Henry leaning back against his legs, and he remembered Belle kissing him, in full view of everyone else in the library, and he straightened his shoulders. He had his family here, and a woman who loved him, and he could do this. Bae had always loved listening to him tell stories.</p><p>“And now, our next story will be "How The Grinch Stole Christmas”, by our guest reader, Mr. Gold.“ Belle looked over to him and gestured. Gold stood, took a deep breath, and walked over to the chair which she vacated for him, ignoring the muttered "It’s the Grinch himself.” that came from one of the fathers in the audience.</p><p>“Good luck,” Belle smiled and touched his arm, retreating to a nearby seat.</p><p>Gold opened the book, and turned it to face the children, the first few pages already ingrained in his memory. “All the Whos down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot…” he began, pausing when he got to "but I think that the most likely reason of all…“. He looked around at the circle of expectant faces,  remembering how Belle had interacted with the children. "What do you think?” he asked. “Why didn’t the Grinch like Christmas?”</p><p>“His heart was too small!” A few children called out eagerly, evidently familiar with the book, or the cartoon.</p><p>“I think you might be right,” he agreed, showing the page. “<em>Three </em>sizes too small.” After that it was easy. He forgot about being Mr. Gold, who had a reputation to uphold, and became again a storyteller, an entertainer, shifting to a more menacing voice for the Grinch and leaning forward slightly, baring his teeth, fixing his eyes directly on one child after another and delighting in the way some leaned back automatically, others smiling shyly with pleasure at being noticed, one small girl nearly making him snort with laughter when she reprimanded “Bad Grinch!” He held them rapt, entranced with his words, remembered Bae cuddling up to him oh-so-many years ago and begging for one more story.</p><p>He glanced over at his son, Neal giving him a nod of what he thought looked like fond approval mixed with amusement, and Henry flashing him a thumbs-up sign. He returned his attention to the book and his audience, earning some giggles when he switched to a high-pitched falsetto voice for Cindy-Lou Who, who was no more than two. When at last he concluded with “…and he himself, the Grinch, carved the roast beast”, there was not only a smattering of applause but some cheers, and he leaned back, feeling oddly triumphant, and wondered if he could get Neal to come over for a holiday dinner, Neal and Henry and Emma, too. There was plenty of room, and Belle <em>had</em> beautifully decorated the house. </p><p>“That was wonderful!” exclaimed Belle, coming forward. “Thank you for reading to us, Mr. Gold.”</p><p>“You’re very welcome, Miss French.” He lowered his voice. “I’ll see you later, okay?” Sh nodded and resumed her seat with a new book in her hand. </p><p>“Our last story for today is <em>The Wild Christmas Reindeer</em>, by Jan Brett,” she announced, and Gold rolled his eyes. Of course it was. He was obviously fated to be haunted by the antlered beasties this year. He returned to Neal and Henry, who were getting up, now that his performance was over. He really should ask Belle first, but he didn’t think she’d mind and he was afraid he’d lose his courage if he waited till another time.</p><p>“You did good, Papa,” Neal clapped him on the shoulder, and Henry echoed the sentiment. </p><p>“Thanks. Listen, do you think you guys would like to come over for dinner one day over the holidays? Belle’s decorated the house, and it’d be a shame if no one but me got to see all her hard work. Emma, too, if she’ll come.”</p><p>“I’ll be going over to Emma’s on Christmas Day,” Neal said, “But I haven’t got plans for Christmas Eve. Or the day after? You’ll have to ask Belle; see which day works better for her. But yeah, I’ll come, just let me know when. What about you, Henry?”</p><p>“Sure, if Mom says it’s all right,” Henry said cheerfully. “She should come, too.”</p><p>“Great.” Gold beamed. “I’ll ask Belle about it later today.” He looked around. “So, where did Santa go?”</p><p>Santa’s “throne” was vacant. “Outside with Blitzen, I think,” Henry offered. “Wanna go check? I want to see Blitzen again.”</p><p>“Sure, kiddo, go get your coat. And bring mine, too; they’re in the staff room.”</p><p>Henry dashed off and came back a minute later, bundling up for the cold. Neal and Gold shrugged into their coats as well, pulling on gloves and scarves and following Henry out into the yard. Santa was indeed there, posing for pictures with Blitzen and talking about life at the North Pole. Gold heard the inevitable “How do the reindeer fly?” question asked, and the prompt answer, “Magic, of course!”, Kris sounding surprised that that wasn’t obvious. Then a pleasant-looking young man with shaggy dark hair and glasses began asking questions about reindeer gestation and newborn fawns, and jotting the answers down in a notebook. A student maybe, taking notes for a report. Henry went over to the fence closest to Blitzen and chirruped to him hopefully, trying to draw him near.</p><p>“Henry,” Gold said, joining him, “Has anything strange struck you about our friends Kris and Blitzen here?”</p><p>“You mean that they must have come in from outside Storybrooke?” Henry asked matter-of-factly.</p><p>Gold turned sideways and looked at him full-on. “So you did realise that. And it doesn’t bother you?”</p><p>“I asked him what brought him to Storybrooke, said that we were out of the way and don’t get many visitors. He said he’d been invited, and I asked by who,” Henry screwed up his brow. “Whom? Whatever. And he said the children. The letters the kids wrote to Santa. And that this was the first year he could come, because of the curse being broken.”</p><p>“So…so you think he’s the real thing?” Gold asked carefully. “Santa Claus who lives at the North Pole and has flying reindeer?”</p><p>“He knew things I’d asked for, when I was still young enough to write letters to Santa,” Henry said quietly. “He apologised for not being able to bring them.”</p><p>“But coming to Storybrooke a few days before Christmas Eve, his busiest night of the year?”</p><p>“He came a week or two ago, first. Said he wanted to see the place that he’d been blocked from visiting for 28 years. He went to the library, to find out about Storybrooke, and Belle saw him and asked if he’d like to play Santa for the kids for a couple of hours.” Henry grinned. “He got a kick out of that, and agreed. Said he felt he owed it to us, after not being able to come all those other years.” He looked over at Blitzen and Kris, then at Gold, tilting his head with a small smile. “The way I figure it, I can either choose to believe or not. And I’d much rather live in a world that has Santa Claus and flying reindeer in it.”</p><p>“After all,” he teased, “Look who I’m talking to, Mister I-Can-Spin-Straw-Into-Gold." </p><p>Gold laughed out loud, and pulled Henry in by the shoulder for a quick sideways hug. "Point taken. You’re all right, my boy.”</p><p>“So are you.” Henry said matter-of-factly, and Gold felt a warm glow spread through him. He fished the rest of the Certs out of his pocket and held them out. “Magic Mints,” he stage-whispered. “Take one.” Henry did, looking slightly baffled, and Gold raised his voice cheerfully. “Hey, Blitzen, come on over here and say hello to my grandson.” He watched Henry’s face light up as the reindeer, recognising the Giver-Of-Treats, promptly came trotting over. </p><p>“He understood you!”</p><p>“Go ahead, give him the mint,” Gold urged, and smiled as he watched Blitzen nuzzle Henry’s hand as he took the treat. Hearing the whir of a shutter, he turned around to see Neal lowering his camera.</p><p>“Hey, buddy, make a new friend?”</p><p>Henry turned around, grinning. “ Yeah, pretty cool, huh?”</p><p>“Say cheese,” Neal prompted, and took another picture of the three of them.</p><p>“Let me take one of you two!” Henry left the fence and held out his hand for the camera.</p><p>“All right.” Neal went to stand beside Gold, who wondered if Neal would mind if he put his arm around his shoulders. Then Henry snickered as he tried to frame the shot and Gold looked sideways at Neal, who quickly lowered his hand and tried to look innocent.</p><p>“Henry, what was he doing?” Gold asked suspiciously.</p><p>“Bunny ears behind your head,” Henry said promptly, and laughed as Gold turned to face his son incredulously.</p><p>“Bunny ears?” Gold demanded, and Neal looked sheepish.</p><p>“Yeah, you know –” He held up two fingers in a V shape. “Sorry. Won’t do it again. Promise.”</p><p>“You’d better not.”</p><p>“Okay, guys, say ‘Magic Mints’!” Henry ordered. Neal’s smile was more a bemused quirk of his lips, but he got a full-out grin from Gold, and he snapped the picture.</p><p>“I want copies of these, too,” Gold said.</p><p>“I’ll send them over tonight,” Neal promised. He reached over the fence to pat Blitzen, who was still sniffing at Gold’s pocket hopefully.</p><p>“You’ll get sick if you eat any more,” Gold told the reindeer severely.</p><p>“Eat any more what?” Neal asked.</p><p>“Mints. This reindeer’s got the freshest-smelling breath around.” He condescended to scratch gently behind Blitzen’s furry ear, earning a happy grunt from the beast. Nicholas Zimmer came over, lured by the reindeer. </p><p>“Hi, Mr. Gold,” he said cautiously. “Hi, Henry.”</p><p>“Hey,” said Henry easily, having long since forgiven the boy and his sister for the shoplifting incident. “Have you met my Dad? This is Neal Cassidy. Dad, this is Nicholas Zimmer.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you,” Neal said politely, shaking the boy’s hand.</p><p>“You, too.” He looked between the three of them. “Is it true what they say, that you’re Mr. Gold’s son?”</p><p>“I am indeed. We were separated years ago. As was Henry’s mother and I . I never even knew I had a son until recently. And then they both found me.” Neal beamed at Henry proudly.</p><p>“After the Curse broke,” Nicholas nodded sagely. “So all these years, Henry, you were living in the same town as your grandfather and never knew it?”</p><p>“Yeah – just like you and Ava never knew about your father. And he didn’t know about you.”</p><p>Nicholas’s whole face lit up. “Yeah. It’s nice – having family. Besides my sister, I mean.”</p><p>“Family’s the best,” Henry agreed. </p><p>“Speaking of family, I’m ready for lunch,” Gold said. “Can I bring you two back anything from Granny’s? Or if your elf duties are over for the day, Henry, would you like to join me?”</p><p>“I think Santa’s done inside,” Henry said. “Let me go ask him.”</p><p>He headed over to Kris,  Gold and Neal trailing after him. Blitzen followed, crossing the pen to the other side to keep them in sight  The young man who had been taking notes earlier flipped to a clean page in his book as Blitzen approached and began sketching.  He also might have edged a little closer to Gold, but that was probably just to get a better view. Of the reindeer. Probably.</p><p>                                 ————————————-</p><p>When Neal, Henry, and Emma came over for dinner at Gold’s house on Christmas Eve, there were three new photos in silver frames on the mantelpiece. One was the one which David had taken of Gold and Belle with Blitzen bright-eyed and cheerful-looking between them. . The second was of Gold and Henry, Blitzen’s mouth open in what looked unmistakably like a happy smile as he savoured his mint. The third was of Gold and Neal, Blitzen’s muzzle poking through the fence rails to nuzzle at Gold’s coat pocket. </p><p>“One would think that Blitzen was a member of this family!” Belle commented, laughing, as Gold showed them off to Henry and Neal. She had embraced the idea of a family dinner, as Gold had known she would.</p><p>“He did seem to bring us all together that day.” Gold couldn’t help but regard the reindeer with a sneaking fondness now, when he looked at those pictures. He’d even added a vintage flocked reindeer and sleigh from the shop to Henry’s other present, in memory of the day.</p><p>“We need one of all three of us,” Henry pointed out. “Me and Dad and Grandpa, three generations of –” he hesitated, faced with too many last names. “ – Gold men,” he decided. </p><p>“Men, huh? What about us women?” Emma demanded dryly, putting an arm around Belle. </p><p>“We’ll take lots of pictures,” Henry promised. “In front of the tree.”</p><p>“Sounds like you’re going to need a new photo album, kid,” Emma commented.</p><p>“Am I getting one?” he asked excitedly.</p><p>“How should I know? Christmas isn’t until tomorrow.”</p><p>“Dinner won’t be ready for at least another half hour, Henry,” said Belle. “Do you want to take some pictures now?”</p><p>“Can we do presents first?” He took the gift bag that Neal was holding and held it up. We brought stuff.“ He couldn’t help glancing at the pile of presents that were under the big pine tree.</p><p>Rum chuckled. "Yes, some of those are for you. Root them out and we’ll open presents.”</p><p>“Great!” Henry dived under the tree, checking tags.</p><p>“I’m going to check on the roast,” said Belle, smiling. “I’ll be right back.” She headed off to the kitchen, from which good smells were emanating. She had wanted to make roast goose, but Granny, who had been giving her cooking lessons, had firmly squashed the notion.</p><p>“Maybe next year. You want to make something easy for your first dinner party, something you’ve already mastered. Maybe some nice chops?”</p><p>Chops, Belle had felt, were too ordinary for a Christmas Eve dinner. “How about this?” she had asked, pointing to a picture in her cookbook. “Crown Pork Roast?" </p><p>Granny had been doubtful. But Belle had persisted, and Granny had eventually agreed to come over early in the afternoon to help her get it started, and go over the instructions with her. "Have some filling side dishes,” the older woman had advised. “In case it Goes Wrong.” But it looked like it was coming along perfectly, Belle thought as she peeked in on it. And she had herb-roasted potatoes and soft dinner rolls and green peas and pearl onions to go with it. She returned to the parlour, Gold beckoning her to his side.</p><p>“Henry’s about  to open his present,” he said, and Belle perched herself on the arm of his chair, Henry taking her appearance as a signal to rip the paper off his gift. Belle watched his eyes round as he took in the rich caramel cover of the photo album they had picked out.</p><p>“Oh.” Henry reverently ran his hand over the buttery-soft leather, and opened it to reveal the thick, creamy pages. “This is perfect. Thank you!” He got up and launched himself at Rumple, who unexpectedly found himself the recipient of a boisterous bear hug, Henry hugging Belle next.</p><p>“You’re welcome,” she said warmly, and Henry sat back down.</p><p>“I can’t wait to begin filling this up,” he said lovingly. “Hey, Mom, did you know I was getting this?”</p><p>“I might have been asked if you already had one,” she admitted, grinning.</p><p>Henry opened the flocked reindeer and sleigh next. “Hey, it’s Blitzen!” Turning the figure around, he noticed something tucked into the sleigh and pulled off the red tissue paper to reveal a roll of wintergreen Certs. “And Magic Mints!” He grinned. “Thanks, Grandpa.” From Belle he got a fantasy novel and then Henry passed a large box to Neal. “Your turn.”</p><p>“It’s my old ball,” Neal said a little wistfully as he uncovered the leather football inside.</p><p>“I don’t need a reminder of my son anymore,” Gold said softly. “It’s yours. I thought you might like it back to kick around with your boy.”</p><p>“You do realise modern soccer balls handle a lot better, don’t you?” asked Neal, with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>“Well, if you don’t want it –” Gold held out his hands as if he would take the ball back, not missing the way Neal was running his hands gently over the leather.</p><p>“Hey, wait!” Henry reached for the ball and Neal passed it to him with a smile. “Was this really your ball when you were a kid, Dad? Wow, it’s heavy. This is so cool!”</p><p>“I think I’ll keep it after all,” Neal decided, smiling. “Seems like my son has inherited your taste for old things.”</p><p>Chuckles ensued when Gold’s present from Neal and Henry turned out to be a photo album as well. “I thought you might be needing one too,” Neal said with a smile.</p><p>“I do. Now that I have a family again.”</p><p>“Open it,” Henry urged.</p><p>The first few pages were already filled with shots of Henry by himself, Henry with his parents, Henry with his grandparents, Neal by himself looking sheepish. Neal had somehow even managed to get a shot of the moment Belle had kissed him in the library.</p><p>“Oh, this one is going in a frame, Belle said in approval, lifting it out to admire it. "Thank you.”</p><p>For Neal and Emma, Belle had loaves of homemade cranberry-raisin bread. “It’s Granny’s recipe,” she assured them. “It’s good.”</p><p>Emma had given Belle a bottle of wine when they had arrived, now she addressed Gold. “Your present is that I’m going to let you spend time with Henry, if he wants it. Rescindable if I catch you doing something stupid or dangerous. No need for a chaperone if you meet somewhere in public, like the ice cream parlour or the diner or the library, but if he wants to come over here, me or Neal or one of my parents comes along as well. Agreed?”</p><p>“Agreed,” Gold said quickly. “And more than fair. Thank you.” He glanced at Henry, who gave him a big wink. Gold winked back.</p><p>Just then, the timer rang, and Belle stood up. “Rumple, in the kitchen with me, everyone else, if you wouldn’t mind going into the dining room?”</p><p>They’d already had the tour of the house, although the dining room doors had been closed. Opening them, Emma gave an appreciative whistle. The room was lit by the warm glow of several red candles and the table laid out in all its finery, a bowl of clove-studded oranges with sprigs of holly tucked in amongst them serving as a centrepiece. “Pretty fancy, huh?” Neal observed.</p><p>“Look, gold silverware!” Henry exclaimed, picking up a knife.</p><p>Emma picked up a snowman place card holder. “Okay, guys, find your seat. This one’s yours, Henry.”</p><p>Neal picked up the bottle of wine chilling in the bucket and saw there was another one. “Oh, hey, sparkling grape juice for you, Henry. I wonder if Belle or my Papa thought of that?” He opened it and began pouring some into Henry’s crystal wine glass.</p><p>“Belle saw that in the grocery store,” Rum answered, coming in with two bowls which Emma took from him and set down. Belle followed with the roast on its platter, which was duly admired. The wine was poured, the food dished out, and everyone seated at last.</p><p>“This is really nice,” Emma admitted, as they began to eat. “Thank you for inviting us.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Henry and Neal chimed in. “You know,” Henry added. “Regina did fancy all the time, but it was different. It was the sort of fancy where you didn’t feel like you could relax and be yourself. This is fancy, but it’s warm and cosy, too. And I really like the gold silverware. Wait, that doesn’t make sense. Gold utensils?” he hazarded. “The goldware?”</p><p>Everyone chuckled, and decided “gold tableware” sounded best. </p><p>“The roast is done to perfection, sweetheart,” Gold told Belle, between mouthfuls.</p><p>“It’s really good,” Henry agreed. “Hey – is it Roast Beast, like in the Grinch?”</p><p>Belle opened her mouth to say it was pork, then closed it. “Yes. Yes, it is,” she said firmly.“</p><p>"I have to admit, I was a little nervous about how it was going to turn out, but it’s pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Next year I’m going to definitely try a roast goose.”</p><p>“I’ve never had goose,” observed Henry.</p><p>“Me neither,” Emma said.</p><p>“I’ve had duck,” Neal volunteered. “Caught it in my own net.”</p><p>“What was it like?” asked Henry curiously.</p><p>“Don’t really remember: it was a long time ago. Greasy, I think, because of the layer of fat they have under their skin to keep them warm in the water. And feathery. I do remember feathers everywhere. The large ones aren’t bad, but the pinfeathers…”</p><p>“Roast goose is delicious,” reminisced Belle. “Very juicy on the inside, with skin nicely browned and crispy.”</p><p>“It’s settled then,” declared Gold. “Roast goose next year. Maybe we could make this a new tradition?” He looked around the table, his eyes settling hopefully on Neal.</p><p>“Why not? Free food and everything,” Neal joked, but his eyes were warm as he looked at his father.</p><p>“Do you think we’ll still be here next year?” asked Henry. “What if we make it back to the Enchanted Forest?”</p><p>“'Back’? You’ve never been there,” Emma pointed out.</p><p>“Then we have a feast at the Dark Castle,” said Gold promptly. </p><p>“It was pretty much a mess when I saw it,” said Neal doubtfully.</p><p>“What a good thing that I made a deal for this very lovely caretaker of mine.” Rum gestured theatrically at Belle.</p><p>“What a good thing I went with a sorcerer who can restore his castle to rights with a wave of his hand,” she retorted sweetly.</p><p>“Ooh, sassy.” Neal leaned towards Belle confidentially. “Any time you want to join our family officially, know that you have my full approval.”</p><p>“Bae!”</p><p>“You need someone to keep you in line, Papa, and you know it.”</p><p>Belle leaned towards Neal. “I did promise to go with him forever,” she confided in a stage whisper. “I think you’re stuck with me.”</p><p>“<em>Belle.</em>”</p><p>“You’d rather I leave?” she asked Gold innocently.</p><p>“Of course not! I –” He gave it up and leaned back, looking around at empty plates. “Anyone ready for dessert?”</p><p>“I am!” announced Henry.</p><p>“I’m not sure I’ve got any room,” admitted Emma, patting her stomach.</p><p>“Maybe a little peppermint ice cream now and the pie in a little while?” suggested Belle, getting up and gathering plates.</p><p>“I guess I could squeeze in some ice cream,” agreed Neal. “Let me help you with that.” He began stacking plates.</p><p>“I’ll take some, too.” Emma pushed back her chair. “I need to stand up and let the food settle. It was a delicious dinner, Belle.”</p><p>“Thank you. Granny’s been giving me cooking lessons. Ask Rumple and he’ll tell you I wasn’t always this good.” They disappeared towards the kitchen, leaving Gold and Henry alone. </p><p>“That’s what I want to hear.” Henry leaned forward, crossing his arms on the white lace tablecloth. “Stories. About when my Dad was a boy. The more embarrassing the better.” He grinned.</p><p>“Henry!” Neal was back, and resumed his seat.</p><p>“You can tell some about Grandpa,” Henry offered fairly. </p><p>“I’m gonna have to think about it,” Neal admitted. “He was a pretty good father, until he got cursed.”</p><p>“And you were the best son a man could ever hope to have,” Gold said sincerely. “But I’m sure we can come up with something. We don’t want to disappoint Henry, after all.”</p><p>Just then the women returned, Belle carrying a tray of custard dishes filled with peppermint ice cream, Emma bearing spoons and napkins, as well as chocolate syrup, maraschino cherries, and a can of whipped cream. “Did we miss anything?”</p><p>“Not yet,” said Henry. “We were just getting to the good part.” He pulled a dish of ice cream to him. "Getting to know each other,“ he added with relish.</p><p>                             —————————————-</p><p>Much later that night, a few hours before sunrise, if anyone were awake they would have heard, for the first time ever in Storybrooke, the jingling of sleighbells overhead. The snow muffled any clatter of hooves, but the marks could be found in the morning, for those who thought to look, and chose to believe, too many and widespread to blame on any enterprising parents. Henry Mills was up early, and went at once to where an empty glass and cookie plate sat, the note he had left tucked under the edge of the plate. <em>The Certs are for the reindeer,</em> he had written, <em>there’s enough for every member of the team if they all like them as much as Blitzen did. Love, Henry (your library elf)</em>. Below it, in green ink, had been added <em>They do indeed! Blitzen got excited when we landed here – I think he remembers you. Merry Christmas! Love, Kris.</em> Carefully Henry tucked the note into the pocket of his plaid flannel bathrobe, and glanced under the small tree they had decorated in the loft, spotting several more presents than had been there the night before. Nearby, his stocking no longer hung flat, but bulged in a most interesting way. Sticking out of the top was an action figure that he had once asked for two years in a row before deciding Santa must not exist and stopped writing a letter every year. Regina had never gotten it for him; Emma had no way of knowing about it.</p><p>Excitement bubbled up in him, the pure, strong joy of vindicated belief.</p><p>"Mom, Mom!” He yelled, dashing for his stocking.  "Wake up! Santa’s been here!“</p>
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